The present invention generally relates to systems, methods, and apparatus for pet owners.
The rapid increase of urban populations along with the increasing popularity of dogs and other pets has created, in at least some areas, a serious sanitary problem regarding the disposal of animal litter, and, in particular, canine litter. It is believed that the willingness of pet owners to retrieve and properly dispose of animal litter is related, in at least some cases, to the ease and convenience with which the litter may be handled in a clean and sanitary manner. While a number of devices have been proposed for disposing of animal litter, they have suffered from various shortcomings.
One commonly accepted method for collecting and storing animal litter until a proper disposal site can be found involves the use of a disposable plastic bag. Some pet owners simply place a plastic bag, such as a plastic grocery bag, in a clothing pocket for retrieval when needed. This method of collecting animal litter presupposes, however, that a pet owner will always have access to, and remember to grab, a plastic bag prior to walking his or her pet.
Pet owners commonly walk their pets utilizing pet leashes. Numerous types of pet leashes, e.g. retractable pet leashes, are known in the art. Exemplary such leashes are disclosed in: U.S. Pat. No. 2,222,409 to Gottlieb; U.S. Pat. No. 2,314,504 to Lifchultz; U.S. Pat. No. 2,919,676 to Schneider; U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,596 to Croce et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,198 to Gehrke; U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,283 to Croce et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,189 to Umphries et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,713 to Brawner et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,817 to Crutchfield; U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,510 to Stanish; U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,150 to McCarthy; U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,230 to Talo; U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,566 to Daniels; U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,551 to Musetti; U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,626 to Kilsby; U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,494 to Kondo; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,080 to Rabello. Each of these patents is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Some have recognized the desirability of providing an easy way to carry pet waste bags when going for a walk utilizing a leash, e.g. a retractable leash. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,881 (which is hereby incorporated herein by reference) discloses a pet refuse bag dispenser integrally formed with, or removably connected to, a leash handle that provides access to a roll of plastic pet refuse bags. It is believed, however, that such a device does not provide a convenient way to transport pet waste once it is contained within a pet waste bag.
A need exists for improvement in pet waste disposal. This, and other needs, are addressed by one or more aspects of the present invention.